The Council affirmed the continuing validity of the principles and aims of the 1993 Kirkenes Declaration and the 1998 Luleå Declaration.

Our vision is a region characterized by stability, prosperity, progress and sustainable development. This vision is being realized through strategies for health and environment protection, economic development, cultural development and education, and democracy. The Council heard reports and made recommendations on items under those strategies.

The Council noted the significance of Barents Euro-Arctic co-operation as an integral part of efforts aimed att creating a stable, democratic and prosperous Europe. The effective and multi-faceted co-operation in the Region constitutes an important element in the European security architecture.

The Council also welcomed the increasing number of confidence enhancing bilateral contacts between military institutions in the Region.

The Development of the concept of the Northern Dimension is followed with great interest. It has led to an increased focus by the European Union on the Barents Euro-Arctic area and underlines the need for better co-ordination between various regional co-operation frameworks. In the EU policy towards the Barents Euro-Arctic Region Tacis, which addresses topics such as nuclear safety, the environment and cross-border co-operation, is an important element.

The Council discussed the challenges facíng the Barents Euro-Arctic Region and underlines the need for further international co-operation to meet them. The Council approved a Health Co-operation Programme for the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, a Declaration of Principles regarding a Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Programme in the Russian Federation and an Exchange Programme for Higher Education and Research.

The Council endorsed a document on "How to identify Barents Euro-Arctic Co-operation" prepared by Senior Officials, containing recommendations for future work.

The Communiqué of the Ministerial Conference on cultural co-operation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, as well as reports from the Environment Task Force, the ad hoc Working Group on Energy, the Working Group on Economic Co-operation and the Working Group on the Northern Sea Route was presented to the Council. Also presented were a report on "How to promote Trade and Investments in the Barents Region" and a report from the Contact Expert Group under the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Council noted the continued commitment of the Barents Euro-Arctic states to assist indigenous people in creating favourable conditions for preservation and development of their languages, culture, economic activities and social life.

The Council expressed appreciation of the work undertaken to establish a new overall Programme for the Indigenous People of the Barents Region.

The Council noted that youth co-operation would play an important part in fostering people-to-people contacts, that such contacts could have an important role in Barents co-operation, and that the Regional Council would give greater emphasis to youth policy.

The Council decided to include youth policy as one of its development areas.

The Council noted the transition of the chairmanship of the Regional Council from Lapland to Murmansk, and acknowledged the vital role the Regional Council plays in reflecting the concerns of the people living in the Barents Region and in contributing to further development of co-operation. Finland is now represented in the Regional Council by the councils of Kainuu, Lapland and North Ostrobothnia.

The Council welcomed the growing involvement of observer states in the co-operation.

Appropriate consideration will be given to the European Union's competence in relevant areas.

FURTHER CO-OPERATION

Sustainable development
The Council underlined the importance of pursuing sustainable development in the Barents Region by implementing Agenda 21.

The Council supported the initiative of the Regional Council to develop Local Agenda 21 Action Programmes in the Region, in co-operation with relevant local and central organizations, taking into account the needs and the potentials of the local communities. To this end, the Council also recommends close c-operation with the indigenous people's organizations.

The Council underlines the importance of making the best possible use of the experience gained in the development and implementation of the Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region, Baltic 21, when Local Agenda 21 Action Plans are being developed and implemented in the Barents Region.The Council requested the CSO (Committee of Senior Officials) to monitor progress in relevant sectors.

Health and environmental protection

Health co-operation programme
Recognizing the interest of everyone in reducing differences in health standards between parts of the Barents Region, thus contributing to the creation of sustainable development, the Council adopted a Health Co-operation Programme for the Barents Region for the years 1999-2002. Major areas of co-operation under the Programme are:

1. Combating new and re-emerging infectious diseases;
2. Supporting reproductive health care and child health care;
3. Counteracting life style related health problems;
4. Improving services for indigenous people;
5. Quality improvement of medical services.

Environment
The Council recalled the 1994, 1995 and 1997 Declarations by Barents Ministers of Environment amounting to a comprehensive Environment Action Programme with clear directions and recommendations relating to co-operation on prevention of radioactive pollution, environmental management and capacity building, reduction of pollution from industrial activities, protection of biodiversity, co-operation between local and regional authorities, integration of environmental concerns into economic activities and financing of environmental tasks.

The Council reiterated the importance of these recommendations and requested the Ministers of Environment to review and report to the Council on the progress made in the implementation of the Environment Action Programme and of the projects jointly selected by the Working Group on Economic Co-operation and the Environment Task Force for their economic and environmental benefits.

The Coucil encouraged Ministers of Environment to actively support the efforts of the European Union to further develop environmental protection in the Region. It further reiterated the need to integrate the environmental dimension into all economic activities in the Region and to further develop environmental guidelines for the effective conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources as well as for the prevention of pollution at source.

Nuclear safety, safety of spent fuel and nuclear waste management
The Council discussed matters related to nuclear and radiation safety, radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management with particular reference to the Russian part of the Barents Region. It was noted that a number of positive steps had been made in this field, but there is a need to reach further break-throughs.

The Council expressed its appreciation of ongoing international project co-operation in Russia in the field of nuclear safety and radioactive waste management. It commended the work of the Contact Expert Group (CEG) under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and encouraged it to work out a more comprehensive plan for foreign project involvement in order to speed up the implementation of high priority projects in Russia and to support the elaboration of a Russian policy in this field.

Members and participants of the Council meeting adopted a Declaration of Principles regarding a Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Programme in the Russian Federation (MNEPR).

The Council would welcome an early completion of the treatment plant for liquid radioactive waste in Murmansk, which would contribute to solving the problem of liquid radioactive waste management in the Barents region and pave the way for the Russian Federation to adhere to the London Convention's amendment (1993) prohibiting dumping of such waste at sea.

The Council expressed appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Russian Federation aiming at solving the problem of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management in accordance with the recommendations of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. It believes that some additional infrastructure, including a regional radioactive waste storage, for management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions is required and that it should be regarded as one of the priority areas for international co-operation, involving, inter alia, the Arctic Council.

The Council would welcome co-operation with the Arctic Council and other organizations to perform surveillance programmes on radioactivity and other pollutants in the Arctic marine environment.

Such monitoring programmes would regularly give information on the status of the marine environment and would form a basis for future strategies to prevent pollution to the marine environment from human activities.

Economic Co-operation
The Council encouraged the Working Group on Economic Co-operation to pursue its diversified approach to barriers to trade and investments with the view to improving the climate for economic co-operation in the Region. A few positive signs of improvements were noted with satisfaction, but there is still a lot to do before a satisfactory framework for trade and investments in the Region has been created. The Working Group should continue its efforts to improve the general conditions for cross-border trade, and national authorities of the member states should take into account the prospects for increased trade and investments, and thus improved welfare, if the conditions are improved.

The Council welcomed the report by the ad hoc Task Force on trade and investment barriers and expressed the hope that concrete barriers would be removed. The Council noted that a forceful follow up of the recommendations from the Task Force would contribute significantly to the reduction of barriers.

As to the list of co-operation projects presented by the Working Group on Economic Co-operation, there is a great variety as to level of implementation. Several projects are in different stages of realization with notable progress in energy efficiency and transport, while many other projects seem to need reconsideration.

The Council recalled that the steady increase of the trade of the Region since 1993 had been interrupted last year due to economic difficulties and expressed the conviction that growth would soon resume.

The recent steps taken within the field of legislation, e.g., regional initiatives for laws on the protection of investments by the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Oblasts, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Republic of Karelia, and the recently adopted legislation of Production Sharing Agreements in the petroleum sector in the Russian Federation, give reason for optimism for the coming year, provided that the above mentioned legislation and similar measures are in fact implemented. In addition to the legal framework an adequate and cost effective transport infrastructure is a pre-requisite for developing economically viable projects as well as reaching the objectives of regional development.

The opening of a new industrial and technology centre in Murmansk could contribute significantly to the establishment of improved facilities for business and economic development.

Co-operation in the field of energy
The Council recalled that an Action Plan for the Improvement of the Energy Situation in the Barents Region was adopted by the Council at its fifth meeting. On the same occasion the Council also decided to establish an ad hoc Working Group on Energy to promote the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.

The Council took note of the report of the ad hoc Working Group on its priorities and current activities regarding establishment of Regional Barents Energy Foacal Points, promotion of energy project financing and development of information networks.

The Council emphasised the importance of improving the energy situation in the Barents Region and noted with satisfaction that major steps have been taken in implementing the Energy Action Plan. The Council supported the priorities of the ad hoc Working Group and underlined the importance of progress in its work with:
-- Continued promotion of framework improvement, including more efficient information and communication systems;
-- Intensified efforts to catalyse the implementation of selected projects which are judged to be feasible and represent technical and institutional values to be demonstrated;
-- Co-ordination with and utilisation of lessons learned from the Baltic Sea Energy co-operation, Baltic Energy Task Force and co-ordination between the ad hoc Working Group on Energy and the Environment Task Force aiming at implementing energy efficiency and energy saving projects.

Transport
Recalling the Statement made by the Ministers of Transport of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in Arkhangelsk in September 1996, the Council noted progress as the Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area, endorsed by the Third Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki in 1997, has been established, encompassing border crossings and customs co-operation, maintenance, upgrading and construction of new transport infrastructure, including ancillary facilities.

The Council welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of the Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area signed in Copenhagen on 26 May 1998 by the Ministers of Transport, Railways and Communications from Finland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and by the representative of the Commission of the European Communities. The first meeting of the Steering Committee, established in accordance with the Memorandum, took place on 7-8 December in Oslo.

The Coucil encouraged the Steering Committee to co-ordinate and monitor the progress of activities and speed up efforts to implement its Action Programme, including the establishment of the Backbone Network of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region.

In this context, the Council noted the relevance of the European Union programme aimed at assisting structural investments, particularly in the transport area.

The Council noted the significant improvement of the road connection with Murmansk represented by the opening of the Nikel-Lotta road segment in October 1998.

The Barents Euro-Arctic Council's Working Group on the Northern Sea Route has actively studied possibilities of the use of the Northern Sea Route for the purpose of international navigation and discussed at its meeting the results of the implementation of the international exploratory programme.

Tourism and ecotoursim
Realizing that assets in the form of unspoiled nature and existing infrastructure in the Barents Region have a potential for generating culturally oriented tourism and ecotourism, the Council noted the Regional Council's efforts to develop such tourism. It also took note of other initiatives aiming at the same goals.

Cultural development and education

The Council noted with satisfaction the statement made at the Ministerial Conference on cultural co-operation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region on 10 September 1998 in Arkhangelsk, and reiterated the increaisng importance of cultural co-operation as a means for promoting cultural contacts and cultural exchange in the Barents Region. The Council underlined the importance of co-operation on concrete projects, inter alia, for the preservation of the region's cultural heritage.

Exchange programmes in the field of higher education and scientific research in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region
Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden will increase and co-ordinate exchange within the fields of science and higher education in the Barents Region. Financial contributions as well as efforts to make existing exchange measures between the countries involved more beneficial to the Barents Region will contribute to this goal. The Council was presented with and accepted a programme document that outlines in further detail the policies to pursue in this field.

Observing that means to support student mobility projects under the EU Tempus programme are available to all the countries in the Region, the Council noted that increased language, educational and scientific training in the Barents Region would contribute to the development of contacts across borders.

Democracy

In recent years the number of people-to-people contacts across borders in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region have multiplied. Agreements on co-operation have been signed between regional entities. Twinning arrangements on co-operation between cities and local communities have been established. Non-governmental organizations and other private entities have also increased their cross-border contacts. The Council expressed its satisfaction over these developments, and underlined the desirability to expand such contacts further.

The Council underlined the need for continued efforts aimed at bolstering democratic institutions and recognized in this regard the importance of projects relating to the further development of civil society.

The Council commended the ongoing efforts by relevant organizations participating in projects aimed at enhancing organizational skills and cross-sector co-operation between actors in business and labour organizations. Such efforts include i.a. ongoing projects in Murmansk involving employers' organizations and trade unions and aiming at developing efficient and constructive workplace relations between employers and employed.

The Council requested the CSO to consider the establishment of a new ad hoc working group on youth co-operation supplementing the work in this field undertaken by the Regional Council and others and report to the Council on progress.

The Council welcomed the decision by Finland to organize a conference on the Barents co-operation in the youth field in Rovaniemi during the concurring Finnish Chairmanship of the Barents Council and Presidency of the European Union this year. A preparatory event at regional level will be organized by Västerbotten in co-operation with the Finnish organizing committee.

The Council stated the importance of gender perspective in all activities.

Meetings of parliamentarians and politicians would increase political focus on the Barents co-operation. The Council expressed satisfaction that the Norwegian Parliament and the Nordic Councl are extending invitations to a meeting of parliamentarians in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in Alta on 8-9 April 1999.

SEVENTH SESSION